100
Years of Magic Celebration

LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- For the first time ever, a parade spectacle will
unfold daily in all four Walt Disney World theme parks during the 100
Years of Magic Celebration beginning Oct. 1, 2001. And thats exactly
as it should be, according to Disney entertainment experts.

More
news about the 100 Years of Magic Celebration at Walt Disney World Resort


100 Years of Magic Celebration to Feature New Spectacles in All 4 Walt
Disney World Parks

The
100 Years of Magic Celebration is a tribute to the imagination of Walt
Disney, says John Haupt, managing producer for the parades. We
have tried to tie our live entertainment to his penchant for creativity.

That
creativity, according to Marty Sklar, vice chairman and principal creative
executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, often involved parades. Walt
loved parades, says Sklar, who worked with Walt for many years.
Parades were important at Disneyland from Day One.

Adds
Haupt, Nothing beats a parade when we want to create an entertainment
spectacular for lots of people.

So
during the 100 Years of Magic Celebration, Disney milestone moments
are presented in parade units inspired by snow globes in the Magic Kingdom.
Motorcars take on the visual personality of Disney characters in Disney-MGM
Studios. The jungle beat is a pageant of party animals in Disneys
Animal Kingdom. The dreams of children float on the evening air in Epcot.

The
magic of the four parades is brought to life by legions of entertainers
-- a total of more than 300 -- plus nearly 60 parade-unit drivers and
other support personnel.

Then
theres the supporting cast -- thousands of theme park
guests who are invited to take a role in the fun. Some are selected
to actually ride along. Some have the chance to step off the curb and
join the Disney characters in a brief activity. Others help make the
magic happen when the characters musically invite them to shout a special
phrase.

All
four parades incorporate the new Suite of Dreams music written
especially for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration.

**********

Making
Music Magic: Disney’s 100 Years of Magic a Musical Celebration

LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Walt Disney World Resort is a 47-square-mile music
box crowned by a castle. To the delight of millions of guests across
the decades, music has been as much a part of the Vacation Kingdom as
Mickey Mouse, dating to 1971 when the first opening-day parade stepped
off on Main Street, U.S.A.

And so it will be during Disneys 100 Years of Magic celebration
-- when Walt Disney World Resort makes more music magic in honor of
the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Walt Disney. What resonates
from Disneys music box will inspire, entertain and thrill guests
coming for the celebration of a lifetime.

Dates
for the 15-month gala are Oct. 1, 2001-Dec. 31, 2002.

Because
100 Years of Magic is a celebration across all four theme parks, we
asked ourselves, What is something that ties all the parks together?,
said Disneys Steve Skorija. The obvious answer was music.

Adds
Rich Taylor, vice president, Walt Disney Entertainment and Costuming:
Music is such a critical component for us. No other show element
can trigger the emotions or recall special memories the way music can.
Its truly the heart and soul of our business, and is the emotional
thread that connects all the new product weve created for the
100 Years of Magic celebration.

According
to Skorija, musical director for Walt Disney World Entertainment, a
milestone event such as 100 Years of Magic rated milestone music. Planners
knew the main theme had to connect to Walt and be a musical celebration
global to the Vacation Kingdom -- yet be flavored with the
unique personalities of all four parks.

Disneys
Suite of Dreams was born.

The
20-minute original orchestral piece consists of five four-minute movements.
Movements take the themes of adventure (Disneys Animal Kingdom),
discovery (Epcot), fantasy (Magic Kingdom) and show business (Disney-MGM
Studios). A fifth movement, the finale called Share a Dream Come
True, is like the anthem for the event, the ribbon around
Suite of Dreams, says Skorija.

Suite
of Dreams may be experienced two ways during the celebration.

A two-CD set has been produced by Walt Disney Records and Walt Disney
Entertainment that features Suite of Dreams and parade music.
It will be available exclusively for purchase in Walt Disney World theme
parks and resorts.

Or,
Disney guests can hear Suite of Dreams as parade tracks
in the parks. The idea is that a theme from Suite of Dreams
goes into each parade at all four parks, Skorija says. In
the Magic Kingdom parade, for instance, we thread the fantasy theme
from the Suite of Dreams.

Heres
a look inside Disneys music box for the 100 Years of Magic celebration:

Magic Kingdom (fantasy)

Disney guests wont believe their ears. Remarkably, selections
from 65 Disney songs were pieced together to accompany the Share
a Dream Come True parade of snow globe floats. Composer of the
fantasy movement is Gavin Greenaway, Emmy award-winning composer for
the Disney Millennium music. According to Ted Ricketts, music director
for the parade, the music of Share a Dream Come True was
conceived to be majestically orchestral while maintaining the
traditional Magic Kingdom happy and upbeat musical style. Dynamic
and heartwarming new musical themes created for the parade are featured
along with 65 of the best-loved Disney songs in a counterpoint musical
style inspired by Disneys Main Street Electrical Parade.

Threading
65 songs into one four-minute score wasnt easy, Skorija
says. Share a Dream Come True makes starts and stops along
the parade route, inviting Magic Kingdom guests to share in the fun.
Technicians devised a way to program music specific to each float during
the stops. When the parade is rolling again, Skorija says,
everything plays.

Disneys Animal Kingdom (adventure)

This movement was composed by two-time Emmy award-winner John Debney
of Emperors New Groove fame as well as Dan Stamper,
Walt Disney Entertainment Emmy-nominated music director and Reed Jones,
parade show director. The orchestration for Mickeys Jammin
Jungle parade is the up-tempo, brightly whimsical work of composer
Gordon Goodwin, Grammy nominee for the Big Phatt Band CD, Swingin
From the Fences. The score for the parade also draws on high-energy
songs that represent different areas of the world.

Explains Stamper: Mickey, Rafiki and friends lead a high-energy
musical caravan through the Animal Kingdom celebrating the harmony between
man and animals with high-energy rhythm, chants, songs and instruments
from around the world.

Epcot (discovery)

Gavin
Greenaway, John Debney and Jonathon Barr brought their composing genius
to the score for Tapestry of Dreams, a celebration of children,
dreams and the legacy of Walt Disney. The first three musical minutes
of Tapestry of Dreams is brand new. Then the music segues
into a score created for Tapestry of Nations -- with dreamseeker
musical treatments.
We overlay a dream sequence at the top of the parade and it creates
a whole new musical statement: dreamlike, tinkly, lots of wind chimes,
says Skorija, music director and conductor for this parade.

Disney-MGM Studios (show business)

Befitting
this cavalcade of resident Disney-MGM Studios stars in outrageously
customized classic cars, composers Gordon Goodwin and Greg Smith honor
Walt Disneys 43-year moviemaking career. Music from more than
30 songs representing Disney characters, Muppets and Star Wars
are heard by Disney-MGM Studios guests as the Disney Stars and
Motor Cars parade rolls through the park, in the very shadows
of a 122-foot-tall Mickeys Sorcerers Hat, new icon of the
park and centerpiece of the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

Music
was always important to Walts vision of entertainment. It played
a leading role for Walt in putting all the animated features together.

Music
is always everywhere at Walt Disney World. You cant go into any
park or resort without hearing music.

Making Music Magic: 100 Years of Magic Celebration Suite of Dreams

Five
four-minute movements, themed to each Disney park with the Share
a Dream Come True final movement

Original
music by various composers including two-time Emmy award-winner John
Debney, Emmy award-winner Gavin Greenaway and Grammy award-nominee Gordon
Goodwin

Twenty
minutes in length

Available
on Walt Disney Records CD in Walt Disney World parks and resorts

Mixed
by Emmy award- and Grammy award-winning engineer Tommy Vicari, whose
numerous credits include recording and mixing for Barbra Streisand,
Quincy Jones, Christina Aguillera and Prince, as well as orchestra mixer,
since 1996, for the Academy Awards Show

**********

The
History of Walt and Parades

Walt
Disney was infatuated with parades from the time of his youth in Missouri.
When the circus came to [Kansas City], chronicles author
Bob Thomas in Walt Disney: An American Original, Walt followed
the parade from beginning to end, his sister Ruth striving hard to keep
up with him. He devised his own circus parade, enlisting Ruth and the
neighborhood children to help decorate floats atop play wagons.

More
than 40 years later, Walts love of parades had a whole new stage:
Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland in California.

On
day one, Walt read a dedication and then the parade started,
says Disney historian Dave Smith. That was July 17, 1955. The Disney
characters -- Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Snow White and others -- took
on a new, three-dimensional life in a procession that marched to the
beat of the Disneyland Band. Actors Fess Parker (Davy Crockett) and
Buddy Ebsen joined in the fun. The parade featured TV commentary by
Ronald Reagan.

On
Thanksgiving Day in 1955, Walt introduced a circus parade. The following
Easter, there was an Antique Automobile Parade. In December 1957, the
Christmas in Many Lands Parade premiered. Then came Cavalcade of Bands.
And The Parade of Toys. Then the Christmastime extravaganza Fantasy
on Parade. And Tencennial Celebration Parade in 1965 to salute Disneylands
first decade.

**********

100 Years of Magic
Year-Long party Begins October 1, 2001

Lake Buena Vista, FLA - Beginning October 1, Walt Disney World Resort
pulls out all the stops for a yearlong extravaganza of special events,
new attractions and ground-breaking live entertainment in honor of the
100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth.

Paying tribute to the legacy of Disney's creativity and spirit of adventure,
the 100 Years of Magic celebration will encompass all four Walt Disney
World theme parks.

"The
emotional connection that our guests have to the Disney legacy of innovation,
imagination and family entertainment, combined with new entertainment
and attractions, will make this our most magical celebration ever,"
says Walt Disney World President Al Weiss.

Recognizing the extraordinary show-business contributions of Walt Disney,
100 Years of Magic will have an especially strong focus at Disney-MGM
Studios, which will unveil a gigantic, 12-story Sorcerer Mickey hat,
a symbol representing the magic of show business and the entertainment
wizardry of Disney that is captured through-out shows and attractions
at the park.

Brilliant
blue and decorated with moon and star shapes of glittering gold, the
giant showpiece is inspired by the hat worn by Mickey in the animated
classic, "Fantasia." An equally gargantuan Mickey hand tips
the hat, which rests on two shimmering ribbon loops that are stylized
versions of Mickey's ears.

Disney-MGM Studios guests will be treated to a magical Disney "starcade"
- a daily parade of classic cars in regalia inspired by the characters
of Disney stories.

And
for the first time ever, cherished memorabilia from the Disney archives
and taped interviews with Walt Disney will be open to the general public
in Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, a multi-media tribute to Walt Disney,
the man.

All
four theme parks will host elaborate parades themed to the imagination
and fantasy of Disney entertainment. New attractions, including a whole
new "mini-land" at Disney's Animal Kingdom, will debut, along
with 100 Years of Magic interactive kiosks (left) that let guests dig
through a computerized treasure trove of information that shows the
heritage behind the family-entertainment fun of today's Disney parks.

The
100 Years of Magic festivities are especially meaningful to many Walt
Disney World cast members who are preparing for the celebration with
fun facts, trivia and Disney lore to share with guests.

A Fascinating Journey - Walt Disney was one of the great visionaries
of the 20th century, and a new attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios
pays tribute to his work.

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream showcases Disney's career in an emotional
journey that starts with Disney's birth in 1901 and ends with the company's
vision for the future.

As
guests enter the corridor leading to the Lights! Camera! Action! Theater,
a gallery will house a collection of exhibits that includes Disney artifacts
- animation art, sketches, paintings, storyboards, models, costumes
and sets. Many come straight from the Walt Disney Archives and are on
display for the first time ever.

Included
in the display will be Walt's working office from the Walt Disney Studios
and a re-creation of the Project X Florida room where Walt Disney World
Resort was first envisioned.

"When
we were researching the attraction, we found that many of our guests
under the age of 15 did not know Walt Disney was a real person,"
said Roger Holzberg from Walt Disney Imagineering. "They thought
it was just a company name."

Throughout the gallery, scenic pieces and props create an experiential
trip through each era of Disney's life, beginning with a brief look
at Disney's early years, from his birth in Chicago and his formative
years in Marceline, MO., a period that was crucial to his development
as an artist and storyteller. Throughout, colorful cards highlight significant
dates in the story. And in one of the attraction's most exciting features,
Walt Disney himself talks about the most meaningful and emotional moments
of his life through a rare collection of audio tapes from the early
1960s, many heard publicly for the first time.

The attraction ends with a short film of Walt Disney's life that explores
the extraordinary hardships he overcame to achieve what he did in his
lifetime. "He is an individual, not an icon," said Holzberg.
"This tells the story of Walt the man, and we hope that guests
will be moved by the scope of his imagination, what he accomplished,
and what he inspired."

"It's
important to note that 'One Man's Dream' is in no way a retrospective,"
said Holzberg. "Walt always said he had one foot in the past and
one foot in the future. We want to inspire the young creative minds
of today to help invent the future."

Entertainment
Spectacles in All Four Theme Parks

For
the first time ever, three of the four Walt Disney World theme parks
- Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom -will
feature Disney character parades and the Epcot Tapestry spectacle will
be expanded, all part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

The 100 Years of Magic celebration is a tribute to the imagination of
Walt Disney...and nothing celebrates imagination more joyously than
live entertainment.

All four parades will incorporate the new Suite of Dreams music written
especially for the 100 Years of Magic celebration.

Mickey
Mouse and 100 Disney characters star in the Magic Kingdom parade, Share
A Dream Come True, highlighting favorite moments from the early days
of Mickey Mouse cartoons to the newest animated Disney characters. Vignettes
are captured in giant snow globes with live Disney characters inside.
The spectacular opening float features Mickey Mouse waving form inside
his snow globe atop a Mouse-ment of Mickey statuettes depicting Mickey
through the years.

Producer Bill Anoka calls each float "a moment to remember,"
from the charming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio to the
adventure of flight in Mary Poppins, Dumbo and Aladdin.

The
parade stops momentarily along the route to invite guests into the street
to celebrate with the characters. The finale is a magnificent castle
floating on clouds, with Tinker Bell's magic wand revealing a character
carousel rising from the clouds inside the final snow globe.

Managing Producer John Haupt says of the parade, "It's heartwarming
and playful. Disney fans are going to love this tribute."

The Tapestry of Nations street festival at Epcot has been transformed
into a parade celebrating children, dreams and the legacy of Walt Disney.
"This parade surrounds World Showcase with enormous drums, fanciful
puppets and spectacular pageantry," says Haupt. "It celebrates
the dreamer in all of us."

Throughout the day at Epcot, Kidcot activity kiosks around World Showcase
will offer children cardboard compasses illustrating the 11 World Showcase
countries with a press-out "coin" in the center of the compass.
As the nightly procession begins, recorded voices of children tell their
dreams for the world as three "dream spinners" dance along.

During
the parade, young guests can make a wish as they toss their "coins"
into a dream catcher that passes by the procession. "The dream
spinners call upon the guests to imagine a vision of the future where
all of our best dreams come true," says producer Taz Marosi.

The
dreams are woven into a tapestry of vibrant sights and sounds as the
parade, with brilliant puppets that conjure up spirits, angels, birds
and other ethereal creations encircling World Showcase. "The parade
explodes with rhythm, color and music," said Marosi. "It's
a brand new experience."

Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade - The new parade at Disney's Animal Kingdom
is a traveling, interactive island street party that features Disney
characters "on expedition" and a tribute to their animal friends.
As the procession winds through the park, a menagerie of abstract animals
comes to life in handcrafted theatrical designs - "bursts of living
color," says producer Paul Nichols.

During each parade, nearly two dozen guests get in on the action in
customized rickshaws that accompany the Disney characters in their own
safari jeeps. Minnie Mouse, for instance, appears as if she brought
all the comforts of home along on her safari, with steamer trunks, wardrobe
cases, hat boxes, even a bathtub (with bubbles continuously floating
out.)

Party
Animals and energetic Party Patrols coax the audience into a singalong
music fest as the parade winds throughout the park.

Disney Stars and Motor Cars - All the resident stars at the Disney-MGM
Studios create a celebrity cavalcade worthy of a red-carpet event in
the new Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade.

"We
bring the stars to you," said producer Tax Marosi. The luminaries
- Aladdin and Jasmine, Luke Skywalker, Rolie Polie Olie, Miss Piggy,
Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse and more - all are on hand for a Hollywood
celebration honoring Walt Disney's 43-year career in motion pictures.

More than a dozen stars ride in customized cars, many of them vintage
models. The Aladdin car is outfitted to look like the Genie, the Toy
Story car is in the shape of Andy's bed. The final car, a 1929 Cadillac,
will carry Mickey, Minnie and friends.

Walt Disney, who got his start in motion pictures, is honored in a pre-show
that pays homage to his pioneering creativity. Commentators along the
parade route will share Walt wisdom as the parade makes its way through
the park.

**********

What's
New - New Attractions for 100 Years of Magic

There's
something new all across Walt Disney World Resort for the year-long
celebration, from resorts to attractions and live entertainment. Here's
a rundown:

In
the Magic Kingdom, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, the first new attraction
for Adventureland since the Pirates of the Caribbean opened in 1973,
takes riders for a dream flight around Agrabah.

Also
in the Magic Kingdom is a new Disney live entertainment extravaganza
in the Cinderella Castle forecourt, starring favorite Disney characters.

At Disney's Animal Kingdom, Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama! "mini-land"
adjacent to DinoLand U.S.A. features Triceratop Spin, a flying, twirling
journey up, down and around in four-passenger vehicles that move around
a giant spinning toy top, and Primeval Whirl using roller-coaster
technology to create spinning "time machines" that transport
riders through curves, short drops and the jaws of a dinosaur skeleton.

At the Disney-MGM Studios, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!
re-creates the excitement of the hit ABC-TV game show, complete with
a detailed replica of the New York studio set. Guests can play along
from their seats in the audience for a chance to get in the "hot
seat" and win prizes.

Nearby
at the theme park is Playhouse Disney, with Bear in the Big Blue House,
Rolie Polie Olie and other favorites from The Disney Channel.

Opening soon with 5,760 rooms, the value-priced Disney's Pop Century
Resort salutes American popular culture with icons representing each
decade from the 20th century, like a giant jukebox from the 1950s
and an oversized yo-yo from the 1960s.

The
1,293 room Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge offers a remarkably authentic
experience with zebras, giraffe and other exotic animals on a 33-acre
African savannah. The resort offers deluxe and luxury suites with
views of the freely roaming wildlife.

**********

News Briefs

Hat Size: 605 7/8...and Mickey Mouse, to scale, would have to be 350
feet tall to wear it. The Sorcerer Mickey's hat, the icon for the 100
Years of Magic celebration, represents "fun and mischievousness,"
said Walt Disney Imagineer Roger Holzberg. The gargantuan hat is 100
feet tall - rising 122 feet in the air resting atop mouse ears, and
weighs in at a whopping 27 tons!

Suite of Dreams...The 100 Years of Magic celebration even has its own
musical composition, with four movements representing each of the four
theme parks. Fantasy (Magic Kingdom), Discovery (Epcot), Show Business
(Disney-MGM Studios), and Adventure (Disney's Animal Kingdom). A fifth
movement is the overall theme song, "Share a Dream Come True."
Noted composer Gavin Greenaway (Tapestry of Nations) penned the Fantasy
movement, while John Debney (Emperor's New Groove) wrote the Adventure
piece. Other composers are under consideration for remaining movements.
It's the job of veteran Disney producer Steve Skorija to pull it all
together as the music is recorded in London and Los Angeles. The CD
will be released this fall.

Disney's Magical Moments Pins...These amazing, high-tech twinkling pins
- five in all, one for each theme park and one exclusively for the 100
Years of Magic Celebration - will "magically" illuminate during
parades, fireworks shows and select theme park attractions. Guests may
purchase the pins at locations across Walt Disney World.

Discover
the Stories Behind the Magic...for the 100 Years of Magic celebration,
each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks will feature new Discover
the Stories Behind the Magic interactive kiosks. The kiosks will offer
games and trivia specific to each park that touch upon the dreams and
events that inspired various chapters of Disney history. For instance,
in the Magic Kingdom, one of the questions: If Mickey's Toontown Fair
had been created in 1928, what would have it been called? Answer: Mortimer's
Toontown Fair, as Mortimer was Walt's original name for Mickey Mouse
until wife Lillian suggested Mickey.